Hotels in Edmonton, Alberta

A little about Edmonton...

Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, a Canadian province. It is the northernmost major city in North America and is situated in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta, with a population of 712,391 (2005), and is the hub of the country's sixth largest Census Metropolitan Area, with a metropolitan population of 1,050,000 (2006 est. ).

Edmonton is Canada's second most populous provincial capital (after Toronto) and is a cultural, government and educational centre. It plays host to a year round slate of world-class festivals, earning it the title of Festival City. It is home to North America's largest mall and Canada's largest historic park. In 2004, Edmonton celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as a city.

The University of Alberta (also known colloquially as the U of A), whose main campus is situated on the south side of Edmonton's river valley, is a board-governed, public institution with annual revenue of one billion dollars. 35,000 students are served in more than 200 undergraduate programs and 170 graduate programs. The University of Alberta has been recognized on several fronts internationally.

Other universities within the borders of Edmonton include Athabasca University, Concordia University College of Alberta , the King's University College, Taylor University College and Seminary, and the Edmonton campus of the University of Lethbridge.

Other Edmonton post-secondary institutions include Grant MacEwan College, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and NorQuest College.

Downtown and Churchill Square host numerous festivals each summer. The Works Art & Design Festival, which takes place from late June to early July. The Edmonton International Street Performer's Festival takes place in mid-July and showcases street performance artists from around the world. Edmonton's main summer festival is Capital EX (formerly Klondike Days.) Klondike Days (or K-Days) was originally an annual fair and exhibition which eventually adopted a gold rush theme. In early 2006 it was decided that the festival would be renamed 'The Capital City Exhibition' (or Capital Ex). Activities include chuckwagon races, carnival rides and fairways, music, trade shows and daily fireworks. Since 1960, the Sourdough Raft Races have also been a popular event. Later in November Edmonton plays host to the Canadian Finals Rodeo and Farmfair. This is a significant event in Canada's rodeo circuit and second only to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in prestige. The Edmonton International Fringe Festival, which takes place in mid-August, is the largest Fringe Theatre Festival in North America, and second only to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in the world. In August, Edmonton is also host to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, one of the most successful and popular folk music festivals in North America. Another major summer festival is the Heritage Days Festival which is an ethnocultural festival that takes place in Hawrelak Park on the Heritage Day long weekend. Many other festivals occur such as the River City Shakespeare Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Edmonton International Film Festival.